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RG&E and NYSEG Prepared for Potential Storm

Stay away from downed power lines even lines that appear dead can be deadly.

NYSEG customers should call 800.572.1131 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations; RG&E customers should call 800.743.1701.

Company Encourages Customers to Closely Monitor the Forecast and Stay Safe

ROCHESTER, NY — March 7, 2017 — NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of AVANGRID (NYSE: AGR), are monitoring weather forecasts in advance of another potential wind storm forecasted for New York State.

NYSEG’s and RG&E’s storm readiness teams have prepared crews and equipment to ensure that resources are in place to restore any downed power lines and power interruptions in communities served by NYSEG and RG&E.

“We are always prepared to respond to power interruptions, but in a case like this our line crews, support personnel and call center are on heightened alert,” said Mark S. Lynch, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E.

NYSEG and RG&E encourage customers to sign up for Outage Alerts to receive updates throughout the day automatically by phone, text, or email as the company updates the status of the restoration process in their area. This information is also available online at NYSEG Outage informaton or List of Electricity Outages.

Power Restoration Priorities

NYSEG’s and RG&E’s first priorities are to respond to known incidents of downed power lines to make the situations safe. (NYSEG customers are asked to call 800.572.1131 to report downed wires. RG&E customers are asked to call 800.743.1701.) Once this vital public safety work is complete, the company will:

Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.

Develop a detailed restoration plan.

Make repairs as quickly as possible.

Restoring Power Following Major Storms

We first repair the backbone of the electricity system – transmission lines and substations – that bring electricity to the local distribution system that serves our customers. We then make any necessary repairs to the distribution system that includes the poles and power lines along streets and roads, focusing first on those circuits where we can restore power to the largest number of customers. As part of this process, we take into account the needs of hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations, as well as any other critical infrastructure. This is a time-proven process that ensures we safely restore service as quickly and efficiently as possible.

NYSEG and RG&E offer the following reminders:

During a Power Interruption

Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.

To report a power interruption, contact NYSEG at 800.572.1131 or RG&E at 800.743.1701. Our telephone systems let callers report the problem, help our crews respond quickly and efficiently, and provide customers with power interruption updates. Because many people may be trying to reach us during a power interruption, phone lines may be busy. Anyone who has access to a working computer or mobile device during a power interruption can also report the interruption online at nyseg.com or rge.com.

Listen to a battery-powered radio for weather and power restoration updates.

Turn off major appliances (electric water heaters, refrigerators and freezers) and sensitive electronic equipment (TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, audio equipment) to prevent overloading and possible damage when power is restored. Turning off this equipment may mean unplugging it, turning off a circuit breaker or removing a fuse for the circuit that provides power to this equipment. Leave one light switch “on” to know when power has been restored.

Don’t use a natural gas or propane range to heat your home.

Never use outdoor grills or stoves inside.

Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.

After Power Is Restored

If a basement or home was flooded, customers should have an electrician check the home and have a plumbing and heating contractor check natural gas appliances before contacting NYSEG or RG&E to have services turned on.

Turn on appliances and sensitive electronic equipment one at a time to avoid overloading circuits.

Replenish emergency supplies used during the storm.

Additional storm safety information is available at nyseg.com or rge.com (click on “Outage Central” and then on “Storm Safety”).

If you have multiple accounts, RG&E has automatically grouped them for you. Once you create your secure Login ID and password, you will be able to access all of your accounts when you log in. If you have authorized people to access your accounts, they can create their own Login IDs and passwords as authorized users and only access the accounts that you've given them permission to see.